It's easy to dismiss social media as a fascination of young people but to do so minimizes one of the fastest growing trends in technology. The Pew Internet and American Life Project recently found that over 71% of teens have a Facebook profile and 75% of adults have one too. Social media tools have become the way for a school or business to quickly and efficiently disseminate information. Because of the almost universal access to social media across all demographic groups it often reaches people that traditional forms of communication miss. The online presence for many schools has moved beyond the school website. It now includes a Facebook page, a Twitter account, blogs by teachers, principals or the superintendent, and YouTube and Flickr for sharing videos and photos about school events. There are seven reasons to pay attention to social media: (1) It Builds Relationships; (2) It's About Customers; (3) They're Already Talking; (4) Listen as Well as Share; (5) You'll Be Well Received; (6) It Builds Community; and (7) It's Here to Stay. (Contains 1 print resource and 3 online resources.). Download: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED538605.pdf